UFC 157 Results: Surprising Performances from Full Night of Fights

As expected, UFC 157 offered up a lineup full of entertaining fights; and more than one went down to the wire, leaving both competitors bloodied, bruised and battered.

On a card that featured UFC's first-ever bout between a pair of women, some of the less-heralded showdowns were quality fights between some of the sport's best up-and-coming talent.

Though this event will ultimately be remembered as a landmark moment for women in professional mixed martial arts, there were multiple fights that were worth watching, including a couple that weren't even on the main card.

Here's a look at some of the most surprising performances from UFC 157.

Robbie Lawler vs. Josh Koscheck

On the main card, Robbie Lawler went head-to-head with Josh Koscheck in a showdown between two fighters that appeared to be somewhat evenly matched, at least on paper.

In fact, going into the fight, Koscheck seemed to be favored to win, but somebody forgot to tell Lawler, as the California native punched his way to a victory in Anaheim.

And it didn't take him long, either.

Under four minutes into their first round, Lawler earned the TKO over Koscheck on punches, as he battered the former contestant on The Ultimate Fighter, whose futile efforts to use wrestling techniques on Lawler failed.

After a prolonged absence from UFC, Lawler announced his return in a big way on Saturday night.

Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar

In another main card clash, Urijah Faber took on Ivan Menjivar, and though Faber might have been the favorite heading into UFC 157, no one could have predicted how wide a margin the 33-year-old Californian would win by.

Just one round into the fight, Faber had dominated Menjivar so thoroughly that he had the crowd chanting his name within a matter of minutes.

Though Menjivar put up a fight for a short period of time, Faber's near-choke on Menjivar ended the fight, much to the crowd's delight.

Menjivar did his best to go for the home run early on, but Faber's wrestling skills turned out to be the difference, as he scored a decisive victory over the El Salvador native.

Michael Chiesa vs. Anton Kuivanen

On the preliminary card, two lesser-known fighters threw down at the Honda Center in Anaheim, as Anton Kuivanen and Michael Chiesa met in the octagon.

Chiesa, who captured the title during The Ultimate Fighter 15, overwhelmed the 28-year-old Kuivanen, and managed to land the TKO via near-choke in the second round.

With this win, Chiesa moves to 2-0 in UFC competition and a perfect 9-0 overall. At just 26, this is only the beginning for the Colorado native.